1. Field of the Invention
Excess humidity inside an electrical enclosure will ultimately result in damage to the electrical enclosure and the components housed within. The present invention relates to apparatus for absorbing humidity inside an electrical enclosure and indicating that humidity has been absorbed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing products on the market to counter the problem of excess humidity include air conditioning systems and heating systems. However, the installation and maintenance of such systems in every applicable electrical enclosure can be a monumental task, generally associated with a high procurement cost, high cost of installation and a high cost of maintenance. These systems present hazards themselves, for example, heating devices can overheat and cause significant damage whilst air-conditioning systems may leak inside an electrical enclosure.
A humidity detector for indicating humidity inside an electrical enclosure is known, but installation is required by drilling a hole in the side of the electrical enclosure. Drilling a hole within an enclosure adds to the possibility for a seal to break and thereby provide a path for elements of the external environment to enter an electrical enclosure. Retro-fitting this type of unit is difficult because it requires a portable drill, thereby presenting an ignition risk due to the spark potential of the battery drill and the sparks and heat caused by drilling metallic electrical enclosures.
There is therefore no known product which safely addresses the problem of excess humidity inside electrical enclosures whilst also indicating a need for further investigation, without further jeopardizing the integrity of the electrical enclosure.
The apparatus of the present invention has no running costs, is non-flammable, non-toxic, easily retrofitted, easily maintained and is designed to be mounted on a rail inside an electrical enclosure specifically intended for enclosure components.